New Zealand yesterday sealed their T20 series against Pakistan with two games to spare on the back of a record 137 off 62 balls by opener Finn Allen at University Oval in Dunedin.
The Black Caps, sent in to bat in game three of the five-match series, won by 45 runs after posting a colossal 224-7 and restricting Pakistan to 179-7.
It followed their victories by 46 and 21 runs respectively in the first two matches. The swashbuckling Allen, following on from his 74 off 41 balls in game two, frequently belted the ball out of the ground as he smashed 16 sixes and five fours in his whirlwind innings.
Photo: AFP
He said he has been working on trying to spend more time in the middle while still being explosive.
“It’s a bit of both, you know, picking my moments when to go and picking bowlers, too. For me, playing the ball on its merits and hitting it where it’s supposed to go is kind of what I’ve been trying to do,” he said.
The opener’s 137 is the highest score by a New Zealander in a T20 international, surpassing the previous best of 123 set by Brendon McCullum, and it equaled the world record of 16 sixes in an innings held by Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai.
He dominated the bowling, taking 27 off one over by Haris Rauf with three sixes, two fours and a single. Rauf conceded 60 off his four overs, while Mohammad Nawaz gave up 44 and Shaheen Afridi 43 on a dismal day with the ball for Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in Adelaide, debutant Shamar Joseph gave the West Indies some hope after taking two top-order wickets during Australia’s reply to the visitors’ first innings total of 188 in the opening Test in Adelaide.
Australia were 59-2 at stumps, with Usman Khawaja not out 30 and Cameron Green on 6.
Australia were only 129 runs behind, but with key batsmen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne back in the pavilion.
Earlier, Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and sent the West Indies in to bat on a cool and overcast morning, a decision that proved fruitful when the visitors were reduced to 133-9.
However, Joseph, playing only his sixth first-class match, gave the score some respectability with a breezy 36 off only 41 balls.
The best was still to come for the 24-year-old, who came on as first change and had Smith caught at third slip with his first ball in Test cricket.
He then enticed a hook shot from Labuschagne, which went straight to Gudakesh Motie at deep fine-leg to leave Australia 45-2.
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